FULECO has been voted as the 2014 World Cup mascot's name, after more than 1.7 million people in Brazil submitted their pick over the three-month voting process. More than 48% voted for Fuleco, ahead of Zuzeco with 31% and Amijubi at 21%. Fuleco will drive environmental awareness, supported by its name, which is a fusion of the words futebol and ecologia (FIFA). ... Austrian hockey club EC Red Bull Salzburg "has signed NHL Columbus Blue Jackets forwards DERICK BRASSARD and DEREK DORSETT." The two 25-year-old Canadians "signed a contract until the end of the NHL's lockout." In addition, the club signed U.S. player ROB SCHREMP, "who recently played for KHL Dinamo Riga." Schremp "signed a contract until the end of the season" (OÖNACHRICHTEN ZEITUNG, 11/26). ... Al Jazira football club has "rubbished speculation" that former Bayern Munich and Wolfsburg Manager FELIX MAGATH was "on the verge of agreeing a deal to replace PAULO BONAMIGO at the '11 Pro League champions." Club spokesperson ALI AL NUAIMI said, "There is no truth whatsoever in this story although it has been making its rounds for more than a month and we have been giving the same answer" (THE NATIONAL, 11/26). ... Four-time Olympic sprinter TOM ROBINSON "has died in his Caribbean homeland of the Bahamas at age 74." Bahamas
PM PERRY CHRISTIE said that "Robinson died Sunday after a long illness, the nature of which he did not disclose." He described Robinson as one of his dearest friends and a sportsman of "truly legendary status." The island's national stadium is named after Robinson (AP, 11/25). ... IOC President JACQUES ROGGE "supports proposals to double the length of doping bans to four years as a way of keeping drug cheats out of the Olympics." Rogge said the proposal "is something that satisfies us in that it endorses increasing sanctioning for what I would call heavy doping'' (AP, 11/26).
AWARDS OF ALL TYPES: Cambodia’s triumphant Davis Cup tennis squad "was served with a double cash bonanza on Friday." Cambodia PM HUN SEN "made a personal cash contribution of $12,000 to the six-member squad comprising national coach BRAEN ANEIROS, non-playing captain TEP RITHIVIT and players BUN KENNY, MAM PANHARA, MAM VETU and LONG SAMNEANG." In a related development, the ministry "decided to apply the sub-decree on cash incentives" regarding Southeast Asian Games and Asian Games to the Davis Cup squad. The ministry "awarded to the team a total of 120M riels ($29,993), 24M riels ($6,000) to each of the four players and captain" Rithivit" (PHNOM PENH POST, 11/26). ... USAIN BOLT won the Int'l Association of Athletics Federations World Athlete of the Year award for the fourth time Saturday "after defending his 100 and 200M Gold Medals at last summer's Olympic Games in London." U.S. sprinter ALLYSON FELIX "took home the women's award" (AP, 11/24). ... London Mayor BORIS JOHNSON on Monday "personally delivered a memento, copper petals from the London Olympic and Paralympic Games cauldron," to India's medal-winning athletes at an event in Delhi. Every country that competed at the London Games "was represented by a copper petal on the cauldron." The petals are now being offered to each country "as a legacy of their sporting achievements" and will be delivered around the world before the end of the year (IANS, 11/26).
